Dr Ranj Singh has become the latest star to support The Independent’s SafeCall campaign to create a new national lifeline for missing young people.
The celebrity doctor and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant backed the launch of the vital new service after donations surged past £100,000 last weekend.
As momentum builds towards hitting the final £165,000 target, he appealed to readers to continue to donate to “make sure no child feels alone, unheard, or forgotten”.
Alongside the charity Missing People, this publication is raising the funds to launch SafeCall, a free, round-the-clock service designed by young people, for young people, to help reach the more than 72,000 children who disappear every year in the UK.
Donate here or text SAFE to 70577 to give £10 to Missing People – enough for one child to get help.
In a moving call to action, Dr Ranj, who is also a television presenter, author and columnist, said: “It’s such a horrible truth that many children and young people feel invisible – at home, at school, even in care. Even at a young age, they’re carrying the weight of mental health struggles, family conflict, and pressure from people who mean them harm. Every day, they’re making impossible choices just to feel safe, and then one day, they disappear.
“No one should ever feel like this – especially children – and we cannot, and must not, accept this.
“SafeCall will make sure they’re not invisible anymore. It will give them someone who cares, someone who will listen without judgment, and a way to find safety when everything feels dangerous. That’s why I’m asking everyone to please join The Independent and Missing People by supporting this appeal. Together, we can make sure no child feels alone, unheard, or forgotten.”
The 46-year-old joins prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who said that all young people “deserve safety” as he urged the public to donate to the cause. Bafta-winning actor Monica Dolan, comedian and TV presenter Dara Ó Briain, writer Sir Stephen Fry, campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, former England captain Sir David Beckham and the crime writer Sir Ian Rankin are among the other prominent figures backing the appeal.
SafeCall will provide advice, guidance and a route to safety for children in danger of disappearing or already missing, who are at risk of exploitation or harm. Many disappear repeatedly or because of issues linked to exploitation, family breakdown, or mental health. The new service will offer them a dedicated helpline, WhatsApp channel, chatbot and website.
Dr Ranj has been an active supporter of Missing People and an advocate for the issue. He hosted the charity’s annual Night of Light Gala in March, during which he highlighted the strong link between mental health and going missing.
The TV doctor is also an ambassador for several UK charities, including WellChild, which helps young people with serious health conditions, as part of his support for a number of charitable causes, mainly focused on children’s health, general wellbeing and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
He is best known not only for competing as a celebrity dancer in series 16 of the BBC’s Strictly, but also for working as a resident doctor on ITV’s This Morning for five years. Before that, he co-created and presented the CBeebies show Get Well Soon from 2012 to 2015, and later co-hosted Save Money: Good Health with Sian Williams. He also won Cooking with the Stars in 2022.
Please donate now to The Independent and Missing People’s SafeCall campaign, which aims to raise £165,000 to create a free, nationwide service helping vulnerable children find safety and support.
For advice, support and options if you or someone you love goes missing, text or call the charity Missing People on 116 000. It’s free, confidential and non-judgemental. Or visit www.missingpeople.org.uk/get-help
